Microsoft showed Thursday the next version of its Windows OS at a press event in Taipei, unveiling a completely new tile-based interface that it hopes will be better suited for the emerging world of tablet PCs.

At the D9 conference today, Steve Sinofsky, President of Windows and Windows Live at Microsoft, gave the first look at the next version of Windows, currently "codenamed" Windows 8. On display was the new touch user interface: an interface designed for tablets and touch computers.

For the first time in its life, Windows will receive a true touch interface. Since Windows XP, Microsoft has tried to graft touch capabilities onto its operating system, but has consistently failed to bridge the gap between precise mouse and keyboard interfaces, and sloppy, imprecise, finger-based interfaces. Windows 8 changes that. Microsoft describes the new interface as "touch first"; it'll work with a mouse and a keyboard, but it was designed for fingers.

It's 2am here (edit: I'm done writing, it's 2:38am now), and I really ought to be sleeping right about now, but for some stupid arbitrary reason, the D9 conference is held at honestly irresponsible hours for us Europeans (and we rock, damnit). So, here I am, MacBook Air on my lap, camomile tea (the Empress of Teas) in my cup, because Microsoft just had to show Windows 8's new interface for the first time at this ungodly hour. Oh, and they unveiled some more interesting stuff about Windows 8. Update: The videos from D9 are up. Mossberg talking to Steve Sinofsky, and the Windows 8 demonstration by Larson-Green.

At the AllThingsD D9 conference today, Microsofts Steven Sinofsky and Julie-Larson Green (both of Office fame) offered a first look at some of the touch experiences in Windows 8 along with a sample of the new Metro-inspired user interface otherwise known as MoSH (Modern Shell).

Following up on a post from earlier today, where we make mention of Windows 8 and the inclusion of Metro, we have this nice tidbit from Microsoft regarding, well, Windows 8, and the inclusion of Metro. They have replaced the desktop with a start screen that should be familiar to anyone with a windows phone, and, well... The video demo says it all and we could type for hours, and not explain it well enough to do it justice.

Microsoft has unveiled the most dramatic overhaul of the Windows operating system in its 25 years. The new Windows 8 can function just as well on a powerful desktop as it would on an 8-inch tablet and its tile-based interface borrows heavily from Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft demonstrated a number of early prototypes on Thursday for ARM based Windows 8 tablets. The software giant held a technical demonstration at Computex on Thursday to demonstrate Windows 8 to hardware partners. Mike Angiulo, Read More

Microsoft has unveiled an operating system it denied ever having last week ? Windows 8. When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer let slip that Windows 8 was on the horizon, the company retracted his words explaining that there was no immediate plans for an OS update but at the D9 conference this week it was shown off.Windows 8 is set to be a new and improved touchscreen version of Windows, which takes more than a little inspiration from Windows Phone 7

Remember how Microsoft unveiled that whole "Windows 8" thing earlier today. It's back for more: here at Computex 2011 in Taipei, prototype ARM-based Windows 8 slates and smartbooks are coming out of the woodwork. Foxconn, Wistron and Quanta all unveiled early hardware for the new OS, with chips from Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA powering their live tiles -- including NVIDIA's upcoming Kal-El, which got both a tablet and a super-slim prototype notebook to call its own.